More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast

Sumedha Vemulakonda, Fashion & activism In the eighth episode of More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast, our host and Silver Needle Runway Communications Director, Erica Capobianco, is joined by Sumedha Vemulakonda, Ambassador/ Activist for Remake Our World. Join Erica and Sumedha as they discuss her journey to becoming an ambassador for Remake Our World, and the tips she shares in order to help people change the Fast Fashion industry. Learn all about where Sumedha sees the fashion activism movement headed in the next 5- 10 years and find out ways you can help make fashion and the world a more sustainable industry. Learn More about Sumedha Vemulkonda: Sumedha Vemulakonda is an undergraduate student studying Economics, Journalism, and Law at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. As a true Economics nerd, and certified Fashionista, she’s combined her interests in her current passion: research into the labor rights within the fast fashion industry, and what needs to be done to protect them. Like a lot of other fashion enthusiasts, Sumedha was guilty of valuing trendy clothes while turning a blind eye towards the multiple labor rights cases of abuse and various other ethical issues that underlie the production process of fast fashion. But after writing a paper on the sourcing models of these businesses, as well as publishing stories about sustainable fashion on her blog, À La Mode, she’s come to understand the role that the fashion industry plays in perpetuating labor and human rights abuse throughout the world. She continues to write articles about labor issues and human rights transgressions within the fast fashion industry for @remakeourworld. You can find her pieces linked on the remake website, where you can also find more information about resources and ways in which the activist community is trying to turn fashion into a force for good! Where can you find us? Apple Podcasts: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Spotify: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Instagram: @silverneedlerunway Facebook: Silver Needle Runway TikTok:  @silverneedlerunway

In the sixth episode of More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast, our host and Silver Needle Runway Communications Director, Erica Capobianco, is joined by Jodi Goodfellow, founder of Startup Fashion Week and co-founder of the FASH PR. Join Erica and Jodi as they discuss her journey as an educator and how her passion to mentor inspired Startup Fashion Week and how she was inspired by the tech industry in her business model. Listen as the two bond over the realities behind producing fashion shows, including Jodi recalling some of her wildest experiences that you’ll have to hear to believe! Later in the episode, just in time for the 35th Annual Silver Needle Runway, Jodi gives the SNR team her best advice for keeping cool, calm, and collected on day of show. Learn More about Jodi Goodfellow: Jodi is the founder and executive producer of Startup Fashion Week, which she launched in 2014. SFW is the world’s only multi-city fashion week producing events in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Jodi has been a consultant and mentor to many entrepreneurs/designers/creatives resulting in her co-founding FASH PR, a boutique public relations agency specializing in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. She is one of Canada’s most connected and innovative leaders in fashion. Instagram: @jodigoodfellow Twitter: @jodigoodfellow LinkedIn: @jodigoodfellow Where can you find us? Apple Podcasts: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Spotify: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Instagram: @silverneedlerunway Facebook: Silver Needle Runway TikTok:  @silverneedlerunway

On this week's episode of More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast, our host and Silver Needle Runway's Communication Director, Erica Capobianco, is joined internationally by Dan Pontarlier, author of the guide From Trash to Runway: Upcycling Men’s Menswear Into Unique Pieces and founder of DP The Label. Join Erica and Dan as they discuss how and why Dan decided to pivot into the fashion industry after working in the hospitality industry for over fifteen years and how he became passionate about sustainability. Later, you'll hear about the process and the inspiration behind Dan's practical guide, From Trash to Runway, where readers can learn how to upcycle their wardrobes without ever holding a needle and thread in their hand! But, stay tuned to hear an exclusive sneak peek into Dan's latest endeavor in creating his very first fashion line! Learn more about Dan Pontarlier:  Dan is a teacher and a consultant in sustainability & marketing for the Hospitality and Fashion industries with almost 15 years of experience. For years, Dan has been able to help those who seek inspiration, help, or advice. In 2015, Dan finally decided to play this role thoroughly. Dan started to write about his passions, his thoughts, and his questions about society. Dan founded a blog to share his opinions, and it worked. Since its foundation, Dan has been promoting sustainability in the world of fashion and hospitality. Dan is the former Responsible for CSR and Environment at the Barcelona Hotels Association, advising on sustainability issues to more than 450 hotels. Dan is also the author of the Strategic Sustainability Plan 2017-2019 in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council. BBA in Tourism, with an MBA in Hotel Management and an MBA in Tourism, Sustainability & ICT and his love for fashion, my professional experience is very diverse and rich. Dan Pontarlier's Instagram: @dpontarlier Dan's TikTok: @dpontarlier Dan's book: @fromtrashtorunway DP The Label: @dp.the.label Where can you find us? Apple Podcasts: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Spotify: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Instagram: @silverneedlerunway Facebook: Silver Needle Runway TikTok:  @silverneedlerunway

In the very first episode of More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast, our host and Communications Director, Erica Capobianco, is joined by Alexa Curtis, the Founder & CEO of Life Unfiltered with Alexa Curtis & Be Fearless Summit. Join Erica and Alexa as they discuss  Alexa’s early upbringing in the realm of fashion and how she pivoted her style-centric blog to a platform for mental health advocacy. Erica also gushes over how into everything Alexa was living out everyone’s early 2000’s dream as a host of her very own Radio Disney Show. Later on in the episode, Alexa gives listeners an exclusive,  sneak peek of her latest project, and what she is looking forward to doing with her platform in the future! Learn more about Alexa Curtis: Born and raised in small-town Mansfield, Connecticut, Alexa Curtis knew she was different. She didn’t fit into the “normal social mold.” When she entered middle school, all the bullying she endured led her to need an outlet to escape. In 2011, at just 12 years old, she started a fashion blog; A Life in the Fashion Lane. It became a platform for her to express her feelings around everything relating to teens, body image, and mental health. As Curtis evolved as a person, her blog naturally shifted from fashion to discussing sensitive topics that teens and young adults face every day.  A Life in the Fashion Lane was changed to Life Unfiltered with Alexa Curtis and became a lifestyle website and podcast for teens & parents discussing topics such as social media and mental health. Not only did Curtis turn her little fashion blog into a full-time lifestyle platform for teens, through cold-pitching, she managed to get sponsored by brands like British Airways, T-Mobile, Lands' End, and more. In 2018, Alexa founded the Be Fearless Summit, which is a pop-up summit that appeared at Drexel University on March 15th, 2020. The next summit was slated for April 1, 2020, at UC Berkeley. Sponsors include Headspace, Shake Shack, and Morphe. Curtis has spoken at numerous colleges; Northeastern, UConn, Eastern Connecticut, Rutgers along with high schools – discussing how to be fearless as well as mental health and social media. In October 2018, Curtis spoke alongside Amal Clooney and Serena Williams at Penn Women, and in Sept 2018, Curtis added ‘host’ to her arsenal as she launched her own radio show on Radio Disney called “Fearless Every Day” with Alexa Curtis. “Fearless Every Day” was the first of its kind and broke new ground for the Radio Disney brand. Alexa interviewed various guests who shared their journey of overcoming obstacles/challenges and chasing after their dreams. When Curtis is not hard at work, she meditates frequently and makes time for hobbies like cooking and exercising to keep herself grounded. Although she is based in Los Angeles, she spends part of her time on the east coast. Alexa Curtis’s Instagram:@Alexa_Curtis Be Fearless Summit Instagram: @befearlesssummit Where can you find us? Apple Podcasts: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Spotify: More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast Instagram: @silverneedlerunway Facebook: Silver Needle Runway TikTok:  @silverneedlerunway